Rep. Seth McKeel to Lead House Budget Committee

This is the third consecutive session in which a legislator from Polk County has been in charge of either the House or Senate's budget committee.

By BILL RUFTYLEDGER POLITICAL EDITOR

LAKELAND | On the verge of a nine-week task in which he will help guide the Legislature to develop and pass a $74 billion state budget, Florida House Budget Chairman Rep. Seth McKeel had just as important a date written on his calendar last Friday.He had promised his daughter Caroline, 4, that he would be at her pre-school's family picnic at noon that day."She said, ‘You be pretty, Daddy,'" the proud father said. Today, he has wife, Kimberly, and their two children, Caroline and Seth III, who is 7, with him in Tallahassee for the opening ceremonies of the 2013 session of the Florida Legislature. But they soon will return home, and he will begin his job of completing a state budget.This is the fifth consecutive session in which a legislator from Polk County has been in charge of either the House or Senate's budget committee. Former Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, served two, two-year stretches as Senate budget chief before leaving office because of term limits.For McKeel, this year could be both good and tough. There is a potential for what he calls a "modest surplus" after five years of tight budgets that left legislators trimming or eliminating local projects."We are protecting a surplus of perhaps over $500 million, and while that may seem like a lot, it is small in a $70 billion to $74 billion budget," he said. In addition, the House plans to set aside more than $1 billion in reserves in its budget.Budget planners in the House and Senate must wait for a final estimation, due in the middle of this month, before they can be relatively sure of what revenues they will have for the 2013-14 budget, he said, but predicted the House would pass a budget in four to five weeks.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCEMcKeel, 37, put years into government and lawmaking before becoming House budget chief, one of the most time consuming and difficult jobs in the Legislature. He served on the Lakeland City Commission, being elected in 2000 at the age of 24, and that experience is something that excites local government officials, who have said they think he will be more conscious of their needs when making out the House Budget. "The thing that struck me when he was on the commission was not just his well-versed financial acumen, but his drive to learn everything he could about an issue," said City Commissioner Howard Wiggs, who served with McKeel."One of his great skills is that regardless of what subject he takes up, he studies it very carefully and becomes extremely knowledgeable on that issue."Speaking from a Florida League of Cities seminar in Washington, D.C., last week, Wiggs said other cities also are pleased at having a former local government official helping plan the state budget."On the other side of the same coin, he will listen to all sides before making a decision. Fairness is one of his strong points," Wiggs said.Mayor Gow Fields, who also was a commissioner with McKeel, said the representative is strong and deliberative, a plus when it comes time to negotiate with Senate leaders in merging the House and Senate budgets into one."It should not be forgotten he has been a part of the House leadership for a number of years and negotiated projects with the Senate for the House leaders," Fields said.He said it was McKeel who last year stepped in when controversy arose over Alexander's work to create Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland. At the request of then Speaker of the House Dean Cannon, McKeel brought both sides together and worked out a compromise to a heated issue that had split both chambers, Fields said. It set up the steps for creating a separate university while accommodating University of South Florida students working to finish their degrees in Lakeland."I have seen him take control of a situation, and he is a very loyal person. He is not a person who would to stab people in the back. And, unfortunately, I have seen that happen in politics before," Fields said.McKeel said he and Senate budget chief Joe Negron, R-Palm City, have met twice for budget planning.

'LOYAL, COMPETENT, ETHICAL'Speaker of the House Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, appointed McKeel to the post and said this year's slight surplus won't make either budget chairman's job any easier. "I think it (the surplus) makes the chairs' jobs harder. The narrative over the last few years has been "no" because there was no money, but now they have to deal with all of the pent up demand. State workers, for example, haven't had a raise in six years," he said.Weatherford and McKeel became close friends after they entered the Florida House together in 2006, and they have worked on policy together through several legislative sessions."We are more than just colleagues. We are close personal friends and will remain so after we are both term-limited (in 2014). We came into the House together. We both have young families, and we all get along with each other."Because he knows McKeel well as a friend and colleague, Weatherford said, it was not a hard decision to give him one of the most difficult jobs in the House. McKeel was on the Appropriations Committee last term and chairman of the State Affairs Committee."He is loyal, competent, ethical, and he treats people right. He gives them respect. And he's the most popular guy in the House right now," Weatherford added with a laugh, referring to spending requests that pour into any budget chief's office.

MEETING PENT UP NEEDSMcKeel said last week that, yes, he has received a lot of requests now that it appears the state will have a little more money for projects."But with the pent up demand over five years, there is not enough in that surplus to meet all the needs. I'd like to see some of the surplus taken to fund some of those projects," he said.McKeel said the Legislature's Appropriations Committee chairmen have had requests, too, from the Salvation Army, the American Cancer Association and many other good organizations, which in the past had to be trimmed.He said he was glad to see requests in Gov. Rick Scott's budget for funding arts and other projects but said he'd like projects completely funded in a single year."I would like to see some of these projects fully funded instead of a little each year so we can cross some of them off," McKeel said.Among Scott's requests are ones for the equivalent of $100 million in incentives to build the state's tiny manufacturing sector and for a $2,500 per annual raise for Florida teachers.

TEACHER RAISESMcKeel said he believes increases are needed, but the Legislature cannot promise a certain amount to teachers."I am cautious about saying a $2,500 pay raise because that is up to the school districts and collective bargaining," he said. "I can see increasing the amount to the school boards, but I am cautious about guaranteeing a specific amount to teachers because we can't. That has to be through collective bargaining. "The biggest budget item likely will be $21 billion or more on Medicaid, McKeel said, adding he was happy for help from experienced members in the House and Senate. Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples, is in his second term as chairman of the Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee, and in the Senate, Sen. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, was House Appropriations Chair for the 2011 and 2012 sessions and is now head of the Senate's Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee.

INFO BEFORE MONEYThere are some key issues for which McKeel said he will demand more information before agreeing to submit it in the budget. One example is a more than $100 million request for the Department of Education's Common Core State Standards for education. That program, which is being implemented at the kindergarten level already, could one day replace FCAT tests as a gauge of how well individual schools are doing in educating their students."I want to know what we are getting for our money," McKeel said. "There didn't seem to be a lot of concrete information on it. I push back in areas where I feel there is not enough specific information."On member projects, those requested by legislators usually for their specific districts, McKeel said he is trying to keep track of each request, knowing that not everything can be funded this year."But everyone needs to understand the (state) constitution forces us to make a decision and pass a balanced budget, and we can't leave town until we do," he said.McKeel said he plans to be back home with his wife and children after May 3, the final day of the regular session.

[ Ledger Political Editor Bill Rufty can be reached at 802-7523 or bill.rufty@theledger.com. ]